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Ben's Week In Review: April 15

You know, I forgot how great Shadow of the Colossus was. ...kinda random, but I just started playing it again. :)

CliffyB is right, you know

While I haven't agreed with some of his statements before, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski's comments concerning next-gen graphics make perfect sense to me. I've always said that true significant leaps in visual presentations can be spotted by anyone, not just individuals who have lived and breathed video games for decades. A few less pixels has never really impressed me, and certainly wouldn't impress those not "in the know." That's why Bleszinski cited the "Mom test;" i.e., new hardware should give us an upgrade in graphics that even our out-of-touch mothers can notice. That would suggest a significant leap and something worthy of our money and attention.

However, that being said, although I can appreciate great graphics, I'm really reaching the point where I just want great experiences. Obviously, visual presentation is part of a great experience, but it's only a part. So when I say I only want a console that plays games I want to play, I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. I couldn't possibly care less what other features it has, and that's the truth.

How many sandbox shooters do we need?

Now it almost seems as if they're trying to kill off linearity in shooters, too. The Resistance series is done (well, basically), Killzone never sold as much as it should've, and very few purchase any Battlefield or Call of Duty for the campaigns. So maybe it makes sense that developers are moving away from linear storytelling within the genre, but I mean...how many do we really need? Borderlands 2 will be out this year, DUST 514 is essentially a MMOFPS, Far Cry 3 will undoubtedly be very open-ended, and now Crysis 3 will also take the sandbox approach? I mean, I really loved Crysis 2; does the sequel really have to be more about exploration and player freedom than storyline?

It's just getting a little annoying. I know developers probably think that anyone who plays a shooter isn't looking for a fantastic story with awesome character development, and I'm probably in the minority. But I'm just not sure killing off linear storytelling in FPSs is the right way to go...not that I think it'll happen, but it certainly seems to be a current trend.

Personal gaming update

I'm pretty much done with Final Fantasy XIII-2, as I've lost the motivation to go for the last two Fragments, and I've seen all the Paradox Endings. I still want to keep moving through Assassin's Creed: Revelations, but I sidetracked myself with Shadow of the Colossus. I'm talking about the one in the ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, and I just love it. I had forgotten just how meticulously designed those Colossi were, and just how amazing it was to take them down. The best part is that I've left it behind long enough so that I don't remember exactly how to beat all of them, so in some ways, it feels pretty new.

Other than that, I still tinker with the Vita here and there, and thankfully, the reviews have let up. Stay tuned for more fun news; this week was sorta slow, as just about everyone seemed to escape for vacation. Saw a lot of "Out of Office" emails. :)

Comments (56 posts)

I'm quite excited for Crysis 3 and I'm glad they're going the more open world route with it. Crytek has proven themselves as very accomplished in that format. No worries there. Halo 4 is the other FPS I'm looking forward to.

I'm glad Cliffy thinks the next gen will pass the mom test. I don't want Sony and MS to go Nintendo on us from a hardware marketing stand point. The GameCube probably could've had a Wii-mote made for it without having users blow $250 for a console that was only a moderate improvement in tech.

PGU: I'm loving the new DLC content for NG3. The Claws are made to rip those nasty white and black coat templars apart ;) Really, on Master Ninja they're near requisite in order to kill the nest of them on level 2. There's hyper awesome abilities Ryu gains while using them, including dashing mid-combo to attack/evade/track an enemy. Templars feel much less slippery to stay locked to as a result.

I'm up for a tune up in graphics, yeah. I remember when I was a kid I used stop my dad while he passed and say "Dad look at those graphics!" when I got a new console. I knew my Mom would never be impressed so I didn't bother her. Don't bother your mothers with your video games folks.

I think it's good that FPS is going open world-y, as I said earlier in the week they really feel like a cart ride at Disneyland or Universal Studios. That's not bad, but it's tough to blow $60 on a straight-line run with lots of explosions for a Single Player gamer.

Ummm, my gaming has gone nuts. I bought Persona 3 Portable and it's making me long for a Persona 5 before this generation ends. FFXIII-2 has gone on the shelf until I feel like playing it or there's nothing else. It's just so bad. I've got Hyperdimension Neptunia MK2 on a brief back burner and I just bought Tales of Graces F too.

After 6 or more forced attempts I have somehow gotten myself into Two Worlds II and I'm having a blast despite it's many, many drawbacks. I just posted something about it if anyone's interested. The Cult Gamer: Two Worlds II (Can You Make Yourself Like A Game?)

Whenever I play games I'm mainly looking for a story. Even when I play shooters the campaign always comes first and is what I look forward to more than the MP. I'm curious about Dust and hope it turns out great but it's something I'd pick up when I just want to burn a little time. When I want to get sucked in it's all about SP.

PGU: I finished off Darksiders for the 2nd time and just love the game. I can't wait to play part 2 and hope it hits in June. I also finished off Costume Quest which was pretty fun and fun to play and then Nelson Tether Puzzle Agent which was also pretty funny.

I'm trying to play through AC: Revelations but the little I've play just gave me Deja Vu. I'm about an hour or more into the game but it just feels like the same old crap. I've heard it gets better farther in but it's killing me to even play it. I also really hate the tower defense crap. I don't understand why they would bother putting it in the game. I understand some people like those types of games but I don't want to play it in my action/adventure game.

That's about all I've been playing. I'm trying to read at times to. I've finally started The Game of Thrones since I really enjoyed the 1st season and now the 2nd season is on. I have books 1-5 so I should be able to get through them before they get that far in the show.

lol no, the game was basically crap on a stick. Lotus is the #1 fan, I just found a way to enjoy it as a screw-around game. Gearbox will do better next time. The DLC content is already better than the game, but it's problematic a little just for using the same stuff like annoying NPCs.

And hey btw Temjin, you seem to be the only one who likes NG3 ;)Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 4/15/2012 2:41:15 PM

Actually, I'm loving NG3, too. Honestly. As is the Kevinator, I believe. And, believe it or not, as a fan of the series, I'd be the first one to call it out as crap on a stick if it were. But, it's far from it. It's the most intense hack'n slash I ever played, and the ninja trials, online competitive and coop is surprisingly deep and addictive. It's one part NG, one part Shinobi, one part Vanquish.

Point taken. I haven't played the Duke, but make no mistake, NG3 is not merely an acquired taste, nor a salvageable wreckage nor a pity f*ck. In my opinion, regarding gameplay, it is best in the genre.

Ha, world, yeah, things are already pretty quiet on the NG3 co-op home front. I tackled Leader Mission 001(now that it isn't glitched) hoping for a co-op partner to join in during play. Well, I ended up finishing it all by my lonesome with not a single request to join =/

..a lingering thought has me concerned that my new ISP's settings, or my router, may be interfering with co-op requests as there does seem to be some decent activity on the Clan Battle stuff.

Anyway, yeah, Master Shams, we'll need to team up given our latency isn't bad and tackle some of 'em harder Trials.

Oh, btw, I found a trick, maybe designed this way who knows?, but if you finish a wave during a Ninja Trial and your sword is bloodlusted you can hold down the UT button and just stand there before the new wave comes and drains your Ninjpo Power and Bloodlust. It's a good way to unleash a UT right at the start of the next coming wave ;)

Now Ben, You know I respect you alot. I usually will read your reviews before my final decision on a game purchase. But the thought of FPS's going sandbox-y thrills me to no end. I perfer more advetury-ness in my games, as I explained in your DA3 article. linear games make me feel so restricted and confined. Could you imagine sneaking through the countryside with your platoon when all of a sudden you are ambushed by the enemy? You have a choice of either running off into the bush and circling around to flank or staying and fighting. Generic fps' seem so dull nowadays. It all feels like the same thing over and over. I think this sandbox fad is just what the genre needs to breath some new life. Just my opinion though.

we can.witcher 2 would be the best example, play however the hell you want in a massive open world complete whichever objectives you want and its gone one of the best stories ever found in a game!mafia 2 even that was kinda a sandbox and it had a fantastic story!same with LA Noire.

I'm speaking strictly military fps' instead of invisible wall which tell you where you are and aren't allowed to go. Break the walls down, bye bye walls. Granted a disc can only hold so much landscape, but look at the size of the world in farcry 2. Imagine something like that but bigger and better and more of a story. The possibilities are endless. Walking down the road when all of a sudden an excalibur artillery round hits from miles away. like my head is swimming with ideas. It would force someone to study the map, every rock, every building. The tactical aspect would be staggering. Ughh I'm not going to be able to sleep now. This thought is so exciting. No loading screens, No automatic drops into levels...

storys got nothing to do with disc space only reason striclty linear games have limited stories is because developers have it stuck in their head that they dont need them.which they dont, 99.999999% of people dont care about the story.not to say no one wants advanced stories in them, id kill to see a game like BF3 but with a deep complex story.if you want to see a military shooter but with a deep sad story, have a look at spec ops the line.every time i have read something on it it remind me of the movie saving private ryan.its amazing how we humans have managed to make such a emotional tragic scary event like war so emotionless!spec ops totally trying to turn that on its head!

as for having to survey the map and pick the "safer" route i doubt that would catch on.id be really boring and frustrating sitting there trying to figure out which way to go, and especially if your not given enough info.dark souls comes to mind........gotta remember allot of people play games for a hour or so a day, if your going to force them to sit there and survey a map and chose a appropriate route there going to get bored and go somewhere else!however, whether thats a bad thing or not i dunno.sometimes i wish gaming stayed niche!the more mainstream it becomes the less and less we see original risky ideas like dark souls, heavy rain, LA Noire.nice to see something totally different every once in a while!turning mainstream is sadly killing that!

Not sure if I want graphics to get better. I mean, great lighting and more realistic characters would be awesome, but some of my favourite games are ones with less of a focus on the graphics, or those that adopt a different style. You know, VC, Sly, inFamous, LBP. They don't have to be super accomplished, as long as they do the job. Like you, Ben, I want to experience, not the look.

I don't mind an open shooter, so long as it gives you options. I found Battlefield: Bad Company incomparably boring with having to traverse the fields, only to wind up at another poorly designed hub area to battle brain-dead NPCs with boring weapons. The world doesn't have to be huge, it needs imagination. Besides, if that openness comes at the expense of story, then I'm only inclined to be less interested in the game. I mean, shooters are already boring enough for me to only partake of them once in a blue moon, devs want to kill off my interest completely, I have no problem with that whatsoever. At least Bioshock Infinite will deliver, if nothing else.

Personal Update:Still getting through Sherlock Holmes, I'm up to the Memoirs and reading the stories is actually really making me want The Testament of Sherlock Holmes next month. I think that it could be a really good game in much the same vein as L.A. Noire, but I'm not really sure...I've finished Killzone, you can read my review whenever Ben approves it, and yes, it is my first PSXE review in over six months, so I think I need to work a bit to get my quality back to where it once was. I was going to continue with KZ2, but I'm going instead through the DMC HD Collection. Speaking of, I picked that up this weekend, along with Jak and Daxter HD, Catherine and AC: Brotherhood. I just wish that I'd have seen Deus Ex there too, with the deal they had going, I could have gotten it for $11. Ah well, you win some, you lose some.Peace.

My PGU:Recenty finished up everything, including all the DLC's too in L.A. Noire. And as far as getting all the collectables(shields, films, etc), I've got everything except for 1 damned single car that I can't find anywhere (Silhouette shows it having side spotlights & looks similar to a chopped & channeled Merc(though it's not, & got a hunch it's a Ford) from around the area where & when when you busted the street racers).

I spent my last 3 full days of the game just jumping into any similar looking cars in every parking lot I could find, plus I headed back to the drag race area & jacked any cars that even looked close, but to no avail so far. But I wound up totally burned out by doing it & I had to shelf the game for a few weeks & hopefully I can come back to it with a fresher perspective.

So now Borderlands GOTY has taken up all my time the last couple of weeks, finished 1 play-through, plus General Knoxx, Dr Neds Zombie Island, and just killed off Ninja Assassin Claptrap.

I went into that fight with my money maxed out at $9,999,999 & that no-good low-down dirty-dealing Interplanetary Clap-Trap frigging killed me enough times to whittle my money all the way down to only $4,516,120. That was one hell of a $5 million dollar fight.

So, now all I have left is Moxxi's Underdome to do & then I'll decide if I'm going to do another go-thru again, using Lilith or one of the other 2 guys, or just wait to do them later.

I've also got Bodycount, then Dead Island & then RDR, all revved up to go next too(doing RDR last cause I know I'll be into that game for months).

I also picked up AC Revelations, Batman:Arkham City & R3 this week, but I'll have to add them into my huge backlog cause I haven't haven't finished the first ones in those franchises. Also got Air Conflict:Secret Wars & Spatterhouse, but I'm in no rush to start on those two, so on the shelf they go for a while.

And I already ran out of room on the 8GB card that came with my Vita & had to start deleting some stuff, so I picked up a 16GB Vita card from Amazon on sale for $49.99 last week, so I'll be loading to that card & then adding on all the stuff I had to delete.

I also found a couple of super-cheap used(but in mint shape) games for my 360, Call of Juarez: The Cartel & Ace Combat: Assault Horizon for only $10 each.So now my 360 won't feel so lonely...or jealous.

Looking forward to some sandbox shooters, although I agree some should be left alone, like Crysis. But on the flip side I think Crysis could work great as a sandbox style game considering all the suits abilities. Actually the more I think about it the more that idea excites me. But Crysis 2 worked out well and was plenty fun the way it was, In fact it was pretty BA!

PGU: finished up ME3, surprisingly it pulled me away from Skyrim. It was a great game! Wish there was more closure, but maybe that'll come with the extended edition releasing this summer. Looking forward to it regadless because it's ME!

That's been about it, I'm really looking at getting into Skylanders. It's kind of an investment, but the gameplay looks solid and fun, and I think it's a good idea. My only worry is the game isn't really big enough to support all the characters. I know each character has certain things in the game it can and can't do, but what worries me is if I decide to invest time and money into it that it will be little more than ending up with some figures I won't be using. With the new Skylanders: Giants game being announced it tells me they are going to support it for awhile, after all it seems very popular already. But what would make this game really great is if it was online, not necessarily an MMO (although that would be really fun) but atleast being able to play online with friends. I'm still actively looking into it, well see what happens.Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/15/2012 1:15:00 AM

Yeah,I want to get into the Skylanders too, but the only problem for me is that with all my gaming collections already filling up all my free space already, I won't be able to find a big enough spot for all those figurines.

BTW, Was in GameStop yesterday & saw that they're now selling USED Skylander figures too, and on the few that I checked out, ranged from $3.99 to $7.99 each(I don't know my Skylanders, so no clue if they were good prices or not)

Well I don't know my Skylanders either. What I do know is some are goin on eBay for $50 because they are rare... Which seems odd to me considering the game was released late last year. I think it's more of stores being out of stock than actually being rare. Can't see how these figures would already be out of production so soon.

But that's actually a really good price, because they retail for like $8.99, so if you can pick em up for $3.99 that's a steal. That actually makes me more comfortable with purchasing it.

The game is obviously huge, the guy I was talking with at best buy said this month was the first they've actually been able to keep the figures in stock. He said usually they get em' in and they are gone. He explained in one instance a guy was so desperate for 3 characters they didn't have, but they did come in the 3DS bundle, so he bought the bundle just for the characters, even though he didn't have a 3DS.Last edited by bigrailer19 on 4/15/2012 9:41:59 AM

PGU: Beat Ninja Gaiden 3 last night and going to run through it again so I can really enjoy hacking those guys with those claws. I plan to NG3 out Tuesday or Wednesday so I can get Prototype 2. Still playing Mass Effect 3. And finally I got Killzone 3 for 9 bucks yeah I beat it but I love shooting up Helghast.Last edited by JDC80 on 4/15/2012 1:37:45 AM

id like to think they will pass the "mom" test not that i believe in that crap!every mother i know could not care less show them a ps2 and a ps3 game and they will say so whats the difference?we were watching a movie on foxtell the other day and it was on one of the SD channels so i switched it to the HD channel and she honestly could not tell the difference!so yea i seriously doubt will be buying ps4s or whatever ridiculous name $ony pulls out of their hat and moms going OMFG thats so amazing we have to go buy it!i cant see even enthusiasts saying that, i honestly cant see next gen consoles offering much so much more then what we have now to warrant the cost of upgrading.

if we were not in a recession where customers are bleeding money, and manufactures are bleeding money then id be a different story there would be a massive leap!but were not, money is in very short supply these days im really convinced next consoles will be allot more like the wiiu.small upgrades, manufactures cant afford to go for alien tech like they did last gen because if they were to do so they would be making even more of a loss then they did then!just cant afford that now.

of course crysis 3 is going to be more open, thats what the whole series is about!you really think crytek would of amazed as many people as they did, and gained the fan base they did, by releasing a corridor shooter?hell no!not to say linear shooters are dying thats just ridiculous!were ignoring spec ops the line, homefront 2, medal of honour warfighter, XCOM, sniper elite V2, aliens colonial marines, ME3 and max payne 3 are we? plenty linear shooters out there!if anything its about 50, 50, the way it should be!you can add dead space 3 to that list once it gets announced.

sitting here really bored!its been good to have some quiet time i can get to some of the games i missed out on last year, but i dunno its just really boring.i miss going to the store and getting something really new!i really, really want to finish castylvania saw it in the shops today 30 bucks but i dunno, i just cant force myself to buy it!im missing something new im sick of playing things ive already finished before!wish sniper elite V2 would come out early, played the demo a few times this week surprisingly it looks REALLY good!i mean really, really good!not good for a rebellion game, but really good for any game!im speechless, i mean rebellion making a good game?the guys who put out AVP, rouge warrior, and neverdead?the guys who are known for releasing the worst games of the generation!?wow, im shocked!never thought id be saying im looking forward to a rebellion title.......let alone playing the demo for it and actually loving it!!!!!

im sitting here praying prototype 2 ends up freaking awesome!not because im bored and want a good game to play, but because its such a freaking awesome concept!i mean who does not want to play a game in NYC where your a bada$$ mutant!?prototype is one of those games that was a f*cking awesome concept, but sadly very poorly executed!im really happy antivision gave them a second chance, and i REALLY hope this time they reach the potential of the idea.conceptually it could be one of the best games of the year!ill just be happy with it being a good game though, because, well to be honest its not looking great.normally when a game has so few previews, so little buzz in the media community, and 6 days till release and STILL no reviews, or even previews!that means one thing, it sucks!not to mention theres no demo.i hope its not though, hopefully for once they will prove that stereotype wrong.but if its so good then why isent the media hyping it up, and antivision really marketing it.i mean seriously when was the last time we had any news on it?normally this close to release were reading a article a day at least on a game!this though were lucky if we get one every few weeks!i really want it to be a awesome game because its got such a awesome concept!please oh please radical, please dont let me down!dont be another one of those awesome ideas, poorly executed guys..............

You should have seen my dad go nutz on sniper elite when it first came out. He beat it on all the difficulties before I could finish normal mode. lol. I would love a game like sniper elite but more modern and a huuuuge arsenal of sniper rifles. Including my R700.

has he tried V2s demo?i was really shocked by it, i was expecting it to be like sniper ghost warrior.dunno why but i have not been this excited for a game since, well since ME3 came out but besides that its been a long, looooooooooooooong time!i love how they have implemented bullet drop and swaying in the wind you have to calculate how much the wind and gravity will effect your shot and compensate for it.its really cool too if you want to have a realistic game with all the aids turned off, so your shot in game is as realistic to real life, but have a little more health so if you screw up 1 shot is not going to kill you can do that too.you can customize the difficulty which i thought was a brilliant idea!normally games force you this or that, so if you like 9/10 things then tough you have to either loose 9 or put up with 1.this lets you tweak every little thing to how you like it!freaking awesome demo, may 10 cant come soon enough!!!!!!!!!

When it comes to advancement in the world of gaming, I'm all for it... Just wait for a bit. I'm still in love with my PS3 and not looking to move on from it any time soon.

PGU: This past week has been really busy for me, so I haven't had the time to really do as much gaming as I'd like. I finally got my chance to play SH: Shattered Memories. It definitely wasn't the greatest out of the SH franchise, as there was only one enemy type and zero fighting. It was good for a few jump scares, but nothing that stuck. Other than that, I've played a little more of ME3, just dreading making it up to that ending... /Sigh/

Haha I've actually stopped playing ME3 now to delay the ending even further. I have absolutely NOTHING left do do now other than to start on the finale. Not even a single little silly side quest. I'm there, on the bridge, all that's left is to push the button to start the return to earth.

I find myself in this weird position where I actually *don't* want Crysis to become more open than it's been so far.I don't think I've ever defended linearity before but I think the level of linearity of the first two titles were just fine. It was a good balance.

That said, I don't really see any reason not to trust Crytek in their judgements either, they probably got some good ideas cooking. But I am a bit vary of my favourite shooter franchise undergoing too radical changes.

Yes I beat both games last year, I bought Crysis 1 on day one based on how awesome Crysis 2 was, and they are both really great shooters.

Both games have large and juicy maps with plenty room for creative solutions, almost always alternative routes to the goal. They really are perfect for people like me who can't stand rails and forced play. I totally loved them both, and Crysis 2 is dirt cheap these days and are so totally worth it.

The current graphics are fine by mean. Its getting to the point that realism is focus. I think much of that has to do with MP's such as CoD. It has its place but I would rather have some more imagination in to design than realism. Realistic phyiscs, sure, but I play a game to escape the real world for a time.

I agree, its the experience of the game. I play old games because they were fun, engrossing and not just because or for the graphics. Possibly at the time, but I play them now for the above.

And if a dev wants to engage me more in the game, a damn good story with great character development. Mindless games have their place, but games such as the Uncharted series or even the Mass Effect series (lets not go there) have all these qualities.

Also, as it is, I am not real interested in seeing pores or small blonde peach fuzz on a character arm up close. Realism... it has its place... but not why I am here.

Ben I noticed you haven't review binary domain yet. Was wondering if you ever were going to? It slipped under many peoples radars but the fans of it really seem to adore it. It sucks because it was a really great effort by sega but they didn't market it one bit and some people haven't even heard of it.

Story wise its reaaally close to what Karas tech demo is about. I think you would really enjoy it.

The mom test actually sounds reasonable. For some reason I was always friends with gamers that believed the graphics made the game. If the game didn't have super good graphics then it sucked. It was really annoying. The funny thing is I noticed it carried over into their dating lives. They dated pretty girls that couldn't hold a conversation with a rock. I'd talk to them and slowly feel my IQ drop.

Anyways. My PGU: I bought Valkyria Chronicles and Star Ocean the Last Hope and just started both of those games. I needed an rpg fix so I went out and bought those. Star Ocean made me nostalgic because I had SO3 on the ps2 and loved that game. And Valkryia Chronicles is just amazing. I had no idea what I was missing out on. It's incredibly fun. I'm really tired of shooting stuff now it seems. I bought twisted metal a few weeks too but I'm stuck on Iron Maiden on Twisted difficulty. I get to the end of the battle and then she obliterates me. I'm starting to give up on trying to unlock warthog. I'm not that good at the game either. Well I'm decent, I did manage to do all that with Reaper and I'm usually an armor over power type of player. I also bought UFC Undisputed 3 since I'm a MMA fan. It's so different from the last installments though so I keep getting destroyed. It's fun though. I also find myself popping Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends every now and then.

Other than that I'm waiting till my next paycheck to get Tales of Graces F. The only Tales game I've played was Tales of Symphonia with my best friend and it left a lasting impression. And I'm also looking forward to the One Piece dynasty warriors game. It looks great imo. I'm a fan of one piece and DW.

Star Ocean had me from the get go, I think it's actually better than Till the End of Time for not being SOOOO full of battles (and impossible battles) but the story is a little less awesome. Thankfully the characters more than make up for it.

What was great about the basic linear structure for Resistance 3 was that even though that was the case, you were constantly switching up your strategy to deal with new styles of play. You can't use the same approach throughout like you can in a war game because the very environments made you change your tactics or die.